2021 Mazda CX-5 vs 2021 Lexus NX

For the 2021 Mazda CX-5, Mazda took a different design approach compared to many automakers who favored aggressive styling. The CX-5 exhibited a sleek, flowing design that gave a sense of movement even while stationary. It wasn’t ostentatious but utilized Mazda's design language to enhance its visual appeal.

The base CX-5 Sport featured automatic on/off LED headlights, 17-inch gray metallic aluminum alloy wheels, a rear roof spoiler, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. Higher trims, like the Touring, added rear privacy glass, leatherette seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless entry, two rear USB ports, a six-speaker audio system, and advanced auto-leveling LED headlights that proved especially beneficial on winding rural roads at night.

Upgrading to the Touring Preferred SV Package added a 10-speaker Bose sound system, leather seats, a power liftgate, a power moonroof, auto-dimming rearview mirror with Homelink, and power-adjustable seats with lumbar support and memory positioning. The Carbon Edition offered a Polymetal Gray paint job, gloss black door mirrors, and 19-inch black metallic aluminum alloy wheels, complemented by an interior with red leather seats and black honeycomb trim.

The CX-5 Grand Touring built on the Touring model with dual heated mirrors, 19-inch wheels, and various LED lighting systems. The Grand Touring Reserve added more luxury with features like ventilated seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel. The top-tier CX-5 Signature boasted Caturra Brown Nappa leather seats, genuine wood trim, and premium finishing touches that made it competitive with luxury brands.

The 2021 Lexus NX shared a familial design with other Lexus models, featuring sharp design lines and a sculpted exterior. Standard features included power-folding outside mirrors and 17-inch wheels. The NX F Sport variant enhanced its sporty appearance with a honeycomb grille, triple-beam LED headlights, and 18-inch wheels with all-season or summer tires.

Inside, the NX F Sport featured quilted NuLuxe sport seats available in an exclusive Circuit Red color scheme, with options for leather and wood trim. The gauge cluster retained a familiar design, employing a sculpted metal-faced four-dial setup and a 4.2-inch multi-information display. The G-Force meter added a unique touch, though its practicality was limited.

The center stack, with its somewhat outdated design, included climate-control buttons positioned high on a plinth-like surface. This design, combined with the placement of the shifter, infotainment touchpad, and drive mode selector, left little room for small-item storage.

The 2021 Mazda CX-5 offered two engine options. The base engine was a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder producing 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. It came standard with front-wheel drive, though all-wheel drive was available. The CX-5 Touring, like the Sport, was also equipped with this base engine. Buyers opting for the Carbon Edition had a choice between the 2.5-liter unit and a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder, delivering 250 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque, on regular fuel. The Grand Touring Reserve and Signature trims came standard with the turbo engine and all-wheel drive.

Fuel economy for the most efficient CX-5, the front-wheel-drive model with the base engine, stood at 25 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 28 mpg combined. The all-wheel-drive version achieved slightly lower figures. Turbocharged models were similarly fuel-efficient, with city/highway/combined ratings a notch lower than their naturally aspirated counterparts.

The 2021 Lexus NX 300 and 300 F Sport were powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The SUV accelerated from zero to 60 mph in about seven seconds, which was average for the segment. While the powertrain could be noisy under hard acceleration, the ride was generally quiet and smooth. The NX F Sport featured Active Sound Control, which enhanced the engine note electronically through the car’s speakers.

Fuel economy for the NX was similar across trim levels. The front-wheel-drive model achieved 22 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined, while the all-wheel-drive models had slightly lower combined fuel efficiency. The available adaptive-suspension system made precise adjustments for a comfortable ride, although the crossover’s steering was relatively numb. Lexus provided three drive modes: Eco, Normal, and Sport, with changes in throttle response and power-steering assist curve based on the selected mode.

The Mazda CX-5 offered a seating arrangement typical of an SUV its size, providing good headroom in both rows but limited legroom for back-seat passengers when taller occupants were seated upfront. The CX-5’s rear outboard seats had full LATCH connections, while the middle rear seat featured a tether connector. Despite not being overly high-tech, the climate controls were straightforward and user-friendly.

The CX-5's interior was somewhat cramped due to a larger shifter taking up significant passenger space. Infotainment system controls were positioned behind the shifter, which could be challenging for shorter drivers. In terms of cargo space, the CX-5 had 30.9 cubic feet behind the second row and 59.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. These figures were below average for the segment, with competitors like the Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4 offering substantially more cargo room.

The Lexus NX stood out with its upscale interior, providing comfort for both rows of seating. The front seats had ample space and the second-row seats offered enough legroom for two adults. The NX’s 60/40 split-folding rear seat enhanced versatility. Despite the engine noise, the NX maintained a quiet cabin, isolating road and wind noise effectively.

Cargo space was limited compared to rivals. The NX had 17.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second-row seats, expanding to 54.6 cubic feet when the seats were folded down. This limited storage capacity was a drawback but could be offset by the availability of a power liftgate with kick sensor technology and power-folding rear seats.

The Mazda CX-5 featured a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen standard across all trims. The large screen size was an advantage, but the operating system was not user-friendly, appearing cluttered and outdated. Adjusting the stereo or navigation was cumbersome due to the absence of tuning knobs and the placement of the control knob. However, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, providing a better interface for media and navigation.

For the Lexus NX, an 8-inch touchscreen was standard, with an optional 10.3-inch screen available in the Navigation package. This package also included advanced features like predictive traffic information, ETA calculation, and fuel station guidance. The infotainment system added HomeLink and Lexus Enform Destination Assist, offering voice-activated functions similar to virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa.

Standard features included keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth, a USB port, HD Radio, and a WiFi hotspot. Upgraded audio options included a Mark Levinson 14-speaker system. The car was also compatible with the Lexus Enform Remote mobile app, enabling remote control of several functions, and Lexus Enform Services Connect, which provided vehicle maintenance alerts and notifications.

The Mazda CX-5 came with a comprehensive list of standard safety features: adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, automatic high beams, and a rearview camera. Additional safety enhancements included a head-up display, reverse automatic emergency braking, driver attention monitoring, a surround-view camera system, and traffic sign recognition, although the latter had known accuracy issues.

These features helped the CX-5 earn excellent safety ratings, achieving a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. Mazda's warranty coverage included a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.

The Lexus NX was equipped with Lexus Safety System+ 2.0 as standard, which included similar safety features: a rearview camera, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, traffic-sign recognition, automatic high beams, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Optional features included park assist, a surround-view camera system, and adaptive headlights.

Lexus Enform Safety Connect was standard, providing emergency assistance, roadside assistance, automatic collision notification, and stolen-vehicle notification. The NX received top "Good" scores from the IIHS, including a "Superior" rating for front crash prevention technology and an "Acceptable" score for LATCH system ease of use. The NHTSA gave the NX a five-star overall safety rating. Lexus provided a four-year/50,000-mile limited warranty and a six-year/70,000-mile powertrain warranty.